Switch.



' yiwwaaw G. W. HART.

SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1910.

988.094., Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

and the driving GE RALD W. HART, OF VIEST HARTFORT), CONNECTICUT,

'UFACTURIN G COMPANY, JERSEY.

ASSIGNOR- TO THE HART M AN- SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Application filed July 7, 1910. Serial No. 570,694.

To all whom it may concern: w I Be it known that I, GERALD XV. HART, a citizen cf the United States, residing at Vest -Hartford, county of Hart-ford. State of Connecticut, have'inven'ted certain new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in switches, and has for its objectto provide a simple and durable mechanism for producing a double snap action of a switch arm.

It further hasfor its object to produce a new and improved switch having a vibrating actuating member. l The following is a description of my iniention as embodied in a push button switch having an oscillating actuated member, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows aside elevation of the switch mechanism. F 2 shows an eleva tion of the other side. Fig. 3 shows a bottom plan view of the same. 'Fig. 4 shows a transverse vertical section of the same. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show details of the switch mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, l is a stationary member which in the present instance-is shown as mounted upon a face plate 2. On one side of the stationary member is mounted an actuating member 3, the same in this embodiment being pivoted so as to have a movement of rotation about an axis, the pivot being preferably supported by the stationary member as shown: ()n the other side of the stationary member a switch arm driving member 4 pivoted so as to have a movement of rotation about the axis of the actuating member 3, and being preferably as shown also supporteu by the stationary member 1. The actuating member is provided with the projection 5 member. is provided with the projection (S, the same being of substantially equal width. About the-hub 7, 'concentric with the axis'o he members 3 and 4, is a coil spring 8, wh so ,two ends bear on opposite sides of the projections 5 ancLG, so that when the actuatmgjmember is moved the spring is put under tension and tends to eause'the driving memberitofl .move in the same direction as the actuating member. Throu h a portion of the stationary 111cm .to the actuating member an her em named by the actuatingand driving members a passage is formed, in which a detent 9 is located. 'T his detent is preferably one having a surface ofrevolution, and I have found the most desirable form to be a spherical steel ball. The throw of the driving member in either direction is limited by stop faces 1010 engaging sta tionary stops 11 1l upon the stationary member. The driving member is provided with two recesses 12-12, one of which is substantially opposite the pawl 9 when the stop faces 10 and 11 are in engagement, and

the other of which is opposite said pawl when the stop faces 10' and 11' are in engagement. It also has an intermediate emergency recess 12 The actnatin me.m-' her 3 has two recesses 13-13, one of which moves into a position opposite the detent 9 when the actuating member is moved in one direction, and the other of which moves opposite the said detent when the actuating member is moved in the opposite direction. T 1e distance between the recesses 13--13' is slightly greater than the distance between the recesses 1:2-l2, with the result that when the actuating member is moved so as to bring its recesses opposite the detent, the projection 5 goes slightly beyond the projection G. ating member is released, the action of the spring brings the two projections into alinement, causing the recess in the actuating member which was last opposite the detent to move backward so as to be slightly out of register therewith, for the purpose hereinafter described. Y

Annexed to the driving member 4 I provide a hub.l4, which at its expanded ends carries bushings 15, which bushings in turn carry the switch arm 16, insulating it from the switch mechanism in the ordinary manner.

In the particular embodiment shown, two push buttons 1717' are pivotal] connected I protrude through the face plate 2. The ordinary switch contacts for the terminals of the circuit controlled by the switch are notv shown, since they form no-part of this'inventi'on.

Where the actuating member and the driving member are pivoted sofas to have movements of rotatiomI have found that it is satisfactory to make the angular distance between the recesses in the driving member sixty de OF L IAR'I'FORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF NEW I Theresult is that when the actu llt grees, andthe angular distance between the recesses in the actuating member seventy degrees. The thickness of the portion of the supporting member lwhich contains the pas- 5 sage for the detent, relatively to the diameter of the detent 9 should be such that more than one-half of the detent will always lie Within the passage in the stationary memher 1, andthe depth of the recesses in the ac- 10 tuating and driving members should be such that any one recess will contain' all that portion of the detent which does not lie within the stationary member 1. The re cesses in the form illustrated appear as holes extending entirely through the actuating and driving members. The fact that they extend through these members is simply the result of using flat metal of the thinness shown. I have t the proportions of the passage in the stationary member and the recesses such that the passage in the stationary member will contain three-fifths of the ball detent, while each of the recesses will contain two-fifths thereof. i

The operation of the device is as follows: "With the parts as shown in Fig. 1, the backward movement of the actuating memher by which the projections 5 and 6 have been brought into line has been such as to bring the recess 13 out of alinement with the detent 9, resulting in holding the detent in the recess 12 of the driving member. It now the push button 17 is pressed, the actuating member is moved until the hole 13' exactly registers with the detent 9, at which time one pair of stop faces 19'20 engage. During this movement the driving member has been maintained stationary by reason of the engagci'nent ofthe detent 9 with its recess 12, but the spring 8 has been put under tension by reason of the movement of the projection 5, which acts upoirone end there of, the other end beinglheld.stationary by 5 the 'n'ojcction (5. When i the? recess 13 comes opposite the dctent ihthe spring acts to move the projection 6, togetlmr with the driving member to which it is attached, into alincment with the projection 5. Such movement forces the detent. 9 into, the recess 1 which is now disposed so as to receive it. It therefore leaves the recess 12 and permits the driving member to moveuntil the stop surfaces '10 and 11 engage. This engagen'icnt la hes pl ace belore the projections and (3 are in exact alineincnt so that upon rclcasino' the actuating push button 17thc spring 8 moves the projection 5 backward slightly, thus (musing the hole 1 il) move out oi? register with the detent 5), forcingthe detent into the recess 12 and locking the driving memb r lo the Sl.2ll.l.)llary portion. ll. with the parts in this posh tion, the push button 17 is actuated, the

ound it satisfactory to have same action tubes place, the pivoted parts, having a plurality however, moving in the opposite direction. The action is a snap action in both direc-' tions, and the driving mechanism and switch arm are positively located at the end of each throw.

My invent-ion permits of various modifications, as will be evident to those skilled in the art. I have shown it in connection with a push button switch, because it is 'well adapted'to that type of switch, and as so embodied is capable of easy description and illustration.

What I claim is:

1. In a switch, the combination of a stationary member, a passage therein, a detent in said passage, an actuating member mounted to move adjacent to one end of said passage, a switch arm driving member mounted to move adjacent to the other end of said passage, said actuating and driving members being free to move independently of one another, spring connectionsbetween said two movable members, each of said movable members having a plurality of recesses adapted to move opposite said detent.

2. In a switch, the combination of a stationary member, a passage therein, a detent in said passage, an actuating member mounted to move adjacent to one end of said passage, a switch arm driving member mounted to move adjacent to the other end of said passage, saidactuating and driving members being free to move independently of one another, spring connections between said two movable members, each of said movable members having a plurality of recesses adapted to move opposite said detent, the recesses in said actuating member being farther apart than the recesses in said driving member.

3. In a switch, the combination of a stationary member, a passage therein, a detent in said passage, an actuating member mounted to move adjacent to one 'end of said passage, a switch arm driving member mounted to move adjacent to the other end of said 9 passage, said actuating and driving members being free to move independently oi? one another, spring connections between=said two movable members, each of said movable members having a plurality of recesses adapted to move opposite said detent, said :uzluating member and said driving member being pivoted so as to move about a common axis.

1'. in u'switch, the combination of a statiouury member, a passage therethrough, a drlentin said passage, an actuating member mounted on one side of said stationary memher. a switch arm driving member mounted- I onlhc other side ot' said stationary member,. said actuating and driving members being. free lo move iinlependently of one another, springronneclions between said two movable urem a-rs, each (if said movable members of recesses adapted to ese ee move opposite said detent, said actuating member and said driving member being pivoted so as to move about a common axis, the recesses in said actuating member being farther apart than the recesses in, said driving member.

5. In a switch, thecombination of a sta tienary member, a passage theretluoughga detent in said passage, an oscillating actuat-" actuating member and said driving member being pivoted so as to move about a common,

axis, and means for oscillating said actuating member.

6. In a'switch, he combination of a stationary member, a passage therethrough, a detent having a. surface of revolution in said passage, an actuating member mounted on one side of said stationary member, a switch arm driving member mounted on the other side of said stationary member, said actuating anddriving members being free to move independently of one another, spring connections between said two movable members, each of said movable members having a plurality of recesses adapted to .move opposite said detent.

7'. In a switch, the combination of a stationary member, a passage theretln'ough, a ball detent in said passage, an actuating member mounted on one side of said sta- 'tionary member, a switch arm drivin member mounted on the other side of said stationary member, said actuatingand driving members being free to moveindependently of one another, spring connections between said two movable members, eachof said movable members having a plurality of recesses adapted to moveopposite said ball detent.

S. In a switch, the combination of a staiionary member, a passage therethrough, a ball detent in said passage; an actuating member mounted on one side of, said stationary member, a switch arm driving menibcr mounted on the other side of said stalionary member, said actuating and driving members being free to move independently of one another, spring connections between said two movable members, each of said mrwable members having a plurality of recusses adapted to move opposite said ball detent, the thickness ort said stationary meinher being greater than onehalf the diameter of said ball.

9. In a switch, the combination or a stationary member, a passage therethrough, a

detent in said passage, an actuating member mounted on one side of said stationary membet, a switch arm driving member mounted on the other side of said stationary member, said actuating and driving members being free to move independently of one another, spring connections between said two movable -members, each of said movable members having a plurality of recesses adapted to move opposite said detent, said stationary and driving members having stop surfaces adapted to be in engagement substantially when one of the recesses in the driving membcr registers with the passage in the stationary member. 1

10. In a switch, the combination of a stationary member, a passage therethrough, a detent in said passage, an actuating member mounted on one sideof said stationary member, a switch arm driving member mounted on the other side of said stationary-member, said actuating and driving membersbeing tree to move independently of one another, spring connections between said two movable members, each of said movable members having iLJJllllllltY or recesses adapted to move opposite said detentpsaid actu v ating member and said driving member being pivoted. so as to move about a common axis, the recesses in said actuating member being farther apart than the recesses in said driving member, said stationary and driving members having stop surfaces adapted to be in engagement substantially when one of with the passage in the stationary member.

11. In a switch, the combination of a stationary member, two movable members mounted to move about a common axis, and

the recesses in the driving member registers a detent cotiperating \Vlbh said three members, two at a time, said three members'arranged so that one of them is intermediate relatively to the others, said intermediate member having a passage therethrough partially containing said detent, the other members each having a recess adapted to'par tially receive said detent, together with a spring connecting said movable members,

anda switch arm carried by one of said movuble"n1emhers the other movable member constituting a releasing membcrfor S L1Cl'(l$- tent. GERALD NV. HART.

W itnesscs G. F. PALMER, H. B. Beownnnn 

